As your favorite disc breaks in:

[slowRoll]

Has anyone else noticed how much well used discs change over their life cycle? I was thinking about this after reading the "Discing Down Adventures" thread in the strategy section. Those guys were talking about just using mostly putters, midranges, and just a couple of drivers to focus on learning proper form by maximizing your ability to throw each one correctly, and to it's full potential. This got me thinking; If I only threw a Teebird and a Leopard as my drivers they would break in so quickly that neither of the two would have the same flight characteristics they started with by the end of the week. I wanted to know if anybody has spent a lot of time with just a couple of discs, and how it has changed how you use it?

I'll start.

My favorite beat in disc is a ESP Surge I received for father's day 2 years ago. It now flies nothing like a new surge and now flies more like a broken in Valkyrie. When it was new, I could throw it into headwinds, now, it'd flip right over and become a backhand roller. It's my primary tailwind driver now, and on a good day it will go just under 400 feet where I used to only throw it 300 or so. I've also noticed that since it has started becoming flippy, that I get a ton more glide, thus the added D. I throw this maybe 5 times a round times, 3 rounds a week times 2 years of play equals roughly 1560 throws with just this one disc.

 

[shoe59]

The Surge was also the first disc I thought of when I saw this topic -- one of my favorite max D drivers. I have a nicely beat ESP Surge I've had for a couple years... it's not bent or dinged up too bad but definitely more understable than when I bought it. I just got a brand new ESP Surge and it is considerably more overstable than my worn one (same weights, both nate doss 2x). They both have their uses, so I carry them both. I use them for long turnover distance drives, the newer one if there's any headwind. I can use a new Surge for sidearm drives, but once they wear in they flip in a hurry and don't come back.

To solve your problem of only throwing one teebird and one leopard (and being worried about quick wear and tear): Buy 3 or 4 of each to carry, and rotate them. While each of them will fly pretty similar, they'll have quirks and you'll probably find different uses for them; e.g. there is a 5-10mph headwind so i'll throw the teebird that is a bit more overstable (tailwind/understable). If you really want them to be very similar in flight characteristics.... get them all from the same place and make sure they all came from the same batch/run (same exact stamp, etc).

 

[buzzinb]

I used to view this as a liability until Garu explained how it can be a good thing as you can find different uses for a given disc over the course of its lifecycle. What's more, discs that start out stable tend to beat in to a certain level and then remain at the stage for a very long time. This is especially true of premium plastics. I have an ESP Crush that has been in the bag for nearly 2 years now that has become my primary driver. It has gone from moderately overstable to a nice, straight flyer. Have you put a new ESP Surge in your bag to compliment the beaten one that you are obviously finding good use for?

 

[Carolina Crushers]

I hated the Innova Viking, until it got ran over by a truck, now it is one of my go-to drivers.

 

[discgolftravelerron]

I have a DX Leopard that used to be my distance driver...now I use it for long turnover drives. It's basically a super beat in utility disc.

 

[garublador]

I get a ton more glide, thus the added D.

That's what I see from beating discs as well.

The real trick is choosing discs that start off a bit too overstable and beat in well. A lot of older discs that were designed when low end plastic was the only stuff available fit into this category. As buzzinb pointed out, they also tend to lose their initial stability rather quickly and then stay in the "sweet spot" a long time and get easier to control as they beat up. They just get better and better with age. If you have a few of the same disc in different stages of wear you also throw each one less so they all last longer.

If you pick a disc that doesn't beat in well, or you find one that's perfect when new then it will get flippy and harder to control so they'll get worse with age. Because it's so tempting to choose discs that fly great out of the box, it's easy to see why people only see this view of discs beating up and spend extra money to try to prevent it.

 

[slowRoll]

Have you put a new ESP Surge in your bag to compliment the beaten one that you are obviously finding good use for?

Sure have. I ordered the last blue one they had off discgolfcenter a few weeks back and threw it several times yesterday as I played Smyrna after work. Really takes me back seeing how stable it is compared to the beat one. I think I can play an entire round with just a surge and an avenger and do just fine. I prefer the feel of the rim on these compared to a boss or katana, they just feel better. Hopefully I will get to keep this one for a long time as well and one day have a new, a 2, and 4 year old surge in the bag.

 

[podunk pete]

Ill have to agree with most everything you are saying.....when first introduced to the sport I luckily picked out a few discs at a sporting good store, that worked very well for me, a 168 DX Valk, and 176 DX Shark, it was all I played with for the better part of a year, after much abuse/tree love/and rookie mistakes these discs beat in perfectly, I knew exactly what they were going to do almost every time. Now that I have started to become much more addicted, I have picked up numerous other discs, and at times I find that my game has taken a hit, because I have to re-learn the newer discs characteristics, as well beat them in. It is more fun to have multiple disc choices, but there is something to be said about simplifiying the discs you carry and mastering those discs, as they break in. ......so is it better to carry 20 discs that you kinda know what they are going to do, or 4 discs that you have mastered?? (not trying to thread jack here, just seems like a proper question)
Good discussion topic Slowroll!

 

[PanicKJ]

After losing my perfectly broken in max weight Valkyrie I changed up my game. It took over a year of throwing that valkyrie to get it broken in like it was. Now I throw mids and putters more so it would take me 5 years to get another one broken like that. However I found that a 150g champ would do the same exact thing that my beat 175 one would with less effort, and it would fly farther.

So now I don't buy heavy discs that I have to break in. Instead I buy them in the perfect weight range for me to where they fly like they are supposed to new out of the box. It also helps that most of the discs that I buy are gummy champ discs. These things do not really break in. I have a gummy champ gazelle that I have used as a thumber disc for over a year and it still flies like the new ones I have.

Last weekend I lost a valk in the river warming up before a tourny. Didn't matter as I had my backup in the car and I already new exactly how it would fly.

 

[WillACarpenter]

The Avenger SS is a disc that I have recently learned is a disc that I love with age. When it's new you can have really clean releases without trying to power it out there and it will just get out there with a predictable line. As it beats it will become a potential turnover disc if you don't throw it smooth enough or overpower it. A little more beat and it becomes a fantastic hyzer flip disc.

Slowly my Avenger SS is starting to become the disc that will fly straight and then just fade off the wrong way at the end. I've only ever seen guys do that with Eagles and Teebirds...and only the older models, so it's really sweet to be finding this with a current run disc.

I'm adding a brand new avenger SS to the bag, and a REALLY beat one back in for rollers and stuff and I figure the rotation will keep me in any Avenger SS type shot for a long time to come.

\/\/

 

[bizarbies]

I cant tell you how many new discs Ive traded for discs that are broke in. Recently I traded a brand new never thrown star wraith for a slightly broke in pro wraith. My buddie told me I was a fool for doing it, but after a couple of drives with it he changed his mind. It would have taken me a couple of weeks to break in the star, but I traded for something that was good to go. I like to have a couple of discs that are new in my trunk ready for trades. Maybe Im crazy, but I like my discs to have their cherries popped. Never been into virgin plastic.

Biz
Team Bert

 

[zenbot]

The Avenger SS is a disc that I have recently learned is a disc that I love with age. When it's new you can have really clean releases without trying to power it out there and it will just get out there with a predictable line. As it beats it will become a potential turnover disc if you don't throw it smooth enough or overpower it. A little more beat and it becomes a fantastic hyzer flip disc.

Slowly my Avenger SS is starting to become the disc that will fly straight and then just fade off the wrong way at the end. I've only ever seen guys do that with Eagles and Teebirds...and only the older models, so it's really sweet to be finding this with a current run disc.

I'm adding a brand new avenger SS to the bag, and a REALLY beat one back in for rollers and stuff and I figure the rotation will keep me in any Avenger SS type shot for a long time to come.

\/\/

Can you explain fading off the wrong way? If you throw RHBH it fades to the right at the end?

 

[Technohic]

My DX Teebirds I got 2 of suprised me at first that they were a tad more overstable than my heavier champs I had broken in. But now that they are breaking in (and not as fast as one would lead you to beleive with DX) they are getting longer and straighter than my champ ones. I just wish I would have gotten brighter collors cause the yellow in DX is very pale and the white one is more of an egg shell color.

 

[NothinButChing]

some discs like Wildcats I have only thrown broken in and bought from PIA

I dont know if I would like it brand new

however a lot of other discs I throw are brand new and dont know how I would like to throw them the more they break in

 

[WillACarpenter]

Can you explain fading off the wrong way? If you throw RHBH it fades to the right at the end?

I don't have any disc that actually does this yet...but some discs...mainly really old Teebirds and Eagles from what I've seen get beat and won't break off their line until the very end, thus almost making them look like a LHBH shot instead of a RHBH...my buddy has an ace with one of these throws.

\/\/

 

[slowRoll]

I spoke about this on another thread. But one of the great things about hanging in there with a disc that starts out a little overstable is that window of time you get when it is broke in enough that it flies perfectly straight. I have a 2 year old Avenger that is dead straight up to 320' or so and has a slight dump out at the end but my brand new one is a meathook that I can throw into any headwind without worrying about it flipping over.

 

[ZMan44]

I throw an old SE Valk that fades right at the end when thrown RHBH. It is the only disc I have ever had that will do this.

 

[craftsman]

I love me some beat up avengers and talons but I find no matter what's in my bag, I reach for the same three or four discs for most of my shots.

 

[bettsjc]

Can you explain fading off the wrong way? If you throw RHBH it fades to the right at the end?

If its "fading" the "wrong" way its probably TURNING? Thank you Zen.


I'm also one of those who aren't a fan of new drivers in most molds. Katanas, ok new. Destroyers I like new. I'm a huge fan of these molds broken in, along with my Sidewinders, Xcals, and Wraiths.

I don't know if I've been playing long enough to have a true appreciation for the process of breaking in discs. Not that I haven't broken in many, actually have broken in a ton. But I seem to add power, snap and distance every time I go out and play. So I actually have been getting a more broken in feel out of my discs when they haven't been getting any more broken in. But I'm a huge fan of broken in discs.